The Labour Party leadership asserted on Wednesday that the reelection of its National Chairman, Julius Abure, and the National Working Committee members during the March 27 national convention remains valid despite the absence of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials.
This affirmation was made by Kehinde Edun, the National Legal Adviser of LP, at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.
Edun’s statement follows INEC’s recent announcement that their officials were not present to monitor the convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State.
For the past four months, Abure has been in dispute with the Nigeria Labour Congress regarding the legitimacy of his reelection.
The internal conflicts within the party persist as the NLC and its supporters distance themselves from the current NWC.
Tensions escalated further when INEC responded to a request for a Certified True Copy of their report on the convention and the party’s constitution.
In a letter dated July 18 and signed by Acting Secretary Haliru Aminu, INEC explained that they could not provide a report as they did not monitor the convention.
According to Edun, the interpretation of INEC’s letter was misguided, and the presence or absence of INEC officials does not impact the convention’s legitimacy.
He emphasized that the law does not mandate INEC’s attendance at party conventions and that proper notice is the essential requirement.
Edun questioned the motives behind the NLC’s actions and affirmed the party’s resilience against external pressure to hijack its operations.